Supporting means for sinuous springs



Aug. 26, 1958 c. FLINT ETAL 2,849,056

SUPPORTING MEANS FOR SINUOUS SPRINGS Filed Nov. 4, 1953 Fags-ell 63/7252, J B y SUPPURTING MEANS FQR SINUOUS SPRINGS Hyland C. Flint, John F. Horn, and Russell G. Hey], In,

Eirrningham, which assignors to American Metal Products (Jompany, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application November 4, 1953, Serial No. 390,228 6 Claims. (Cl. 155-179) This invention relates to terminal ends of wire spring strips and anchoring means therefor, and particularly to a wire spring strip having oppositely disposed loops and longitudinally extending terminal ends by which the strip is secured to a supporting frame.

The present invention pertains to aspring strip which is made of wire bent in a maner to have laterally extending torsion bars and longitudinally extending bendable bars interconnected therewith, as described and claimed in the copending application of I-Iyland C. Flint et al., SerialNo. 290,874, filed May 31, 1952, now U. S. Patent No. 2,684,844, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The deflection of the spring occurs through the twisting of the torsion bars and the contour of the resulting form of the strip depends upon the spacing of the bars by employing different lengths of bendable bars. The bendable bars are disposed along the longitudinal length of the strip and may be bent in a manner to produce a desired contour lengthwise of the strip when loaded and unloaded. The ends of the strip are extended from the endmost torsion bars parallel to the length of the strip and are usually disposed in aligned relation to the bending bars located along the edges of the strip. A tunnel is provided in the frame transverse of its longitudinal dimension for receiving the end of the strip so that the supporting torsion bar at the end may be rocked down against the frame and secured by projecting fingers between which it is disposed. Preferably a hook is provided on the finger most remote from the tunnel so that the torsion bar may be deflected about the one finger and pass beneath the book of the remote finger. The tunnel may be a pair of spaced parallel tabs having aligned openings therein for receiving the end portion of the spring strip so that only a single hook need be employed for securing the strip to the frame the endmost tab being flanged outwardly and downwardly in alignment with the aperture to cover the end portion of the spring strip.

Accordingly, the main objects of the invention are: to provide a spring strip with a terminal end which extends parallel to the longitudinal dimension of the strip; to provide a straight end portion extending from the end torsion bar so as to be at right angles thereto and parallel to the length of the strip; to provide apertured means for receiving the projecting end of a spring strip which extends from torsion bar of the strip and a spaced finger having a hooked end for anchoring the torsion bar; to employ spaced flanges having aligned apertures therein for receiving the projecting end of the spring strip which is retained therein when the supporting torsion bar is secured under the hook of a finger, the endmost tab being flanged downwardly to project over the end of the end portion of the strip, and, in general, to provide an end on a spring strip and supporting means therefor which is simple in construction, which positively secures the end of the spring strip to the frame, and which is economical of manufacture. 1

Other objects and features of novelty of the invention will be specifically pointed out or will become apparent nited States Patent 2,34%,55 Patented Aug. 26, 1958 icy '- when referring, for a better understanding of the invention, to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a broken sectional view of a portion of the frame having the end of a sp ing strip secured thereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the slructure illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view of structure, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 1, showing a further form which the invention may assume;

Fig. 4 is a broken plan view of a formed strip for supporting the end of a spring strip in fixed relation thereto;

Fig. 5 is an enlargedsectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 4, taken on the line 55 thereof;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 4, taken on the line 6-6 thereof;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 4, taken on the line 7-7 thereof;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 4, taken on the line 8-8 thereof, and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 4, taken on the line 9-9 thereof.

Referring to the figures, the spring strip having the securable ends of the present invention is similar to that illustrated, described and claimed in the above mentioned copending application of Hyland C. Flint et al. The spring strip provides a new concept in spring seating constructions in that the torsion bars disposed transversely of the strip are always maintained in parallel relation but may be spaced different amounts from each other by the change in length of the side bendable bars which are joined to the torsion bars. The spring strip 11 has the torsion bars 12 joined by bendable bars 13. The endmost torsion bar 12 has a securing end 14 extending therefrom in right-angle relation thereto parallel to the bendable bars and the longitudinal length of the strip.

In Figs. 1 and 2, a strip of metal 15 has been formed to support the ends of the strips 11 when the metal strip 15 is supported upon a base frame (not shown),by a plurality of arched supporting wires 16. The strip 15 has a tunnel 17 formed therein for receiving the spring strip end 14 by deflecting end portions 18 upwardly and a central portion 19 downwardl the two portions being separated by the slots 21 which are sheared in the sheet at the beginning of the forming operation. Folds 22 are provided along the edge of the strip 15 for strengthening the strip, the fold at the right-hand side of the strip, as 'llustrated in Fig. 1, being extended outwardly to form a supporting flange 23. An elongated aperture 24 is provided in the wall 25 of the inner fold 22 through which the end 14 of the spring strip may extend. The wall 25 and flange 23 have a finger 26 struck therefrom and formed at 27 into a hook which receives the opposite end of the torsion bar 12 when spinng thereunder for locking the end of the spring strip to the formed metal strip 15. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the strip 11 may be reversely bent at 23 to extend across the seating unit to the opposite frame member, or may be further reversely bent outwardly in the form of a V to provide height at the forward end of the assembly. The portion 29 of the spring extending from the flange 23 outwardly to the reversely bent portion 28 provides resiliency at the end of the seating portion of the strip.

When it is desired to provide an arch in the spring strip, a frame member 31 may be employed, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The top web 32 of the frame member is disposed at an angle to have the spring extend angularly upwardly from the frame. In this arrangement, a lanced portion 33 of the web 32 is drawn upwardly to form a tunnel 34 for receiving the spring strip end 14. An adjacent tab 35 limits the extension of the end 14 within the tunnel and forms a fulcrum about which the torsion bar 12 is bent when the end opposite to that from which the end 14 extends is secured under the finger 36 having a hooked end portion 37 thereon.

When the spring strips are to be applied to a frame 33 of tubular form, as shown in Figs. 4 to 9, a formed metal strip 39 is employed which is welded or otherwise secured to portions of the frame. The strip 39 has a pair of tabs 41 and 42 lanced therefrom and bent upwardly in space aligned relation to each other. An aperture 43 through the tabs 41 and 42 is disposed in aligned relation to receive the end 14 of the spring strip 11. The end of the tab 42, as illustrated more specifically in Figs. 4 and 5, is reversely bent at 44 to extend over the supported end 14 of the spring strip. A finger 36 is struck upwardly from the strip 39 spaced from the tabs 41 and 42, and having a hooked end 37 formed thereon. The torsion bar 12 which supports the end 14 is deflected and secured beneath the hook 37 against the finger 36. A sheared deflected tab 45 in the strip 39 engages the torsion bar 12, as illustrated in Fig. 6, when locked beneath the hook 37 for retaining the spring in locked position.

One edge 46 of the strip 39 is arcuately formed to encompass a substantial area of the tube 38 of the frame when secured thereto by projection welding, which occurs at the spaced projected points 47 provided throughout the length of the strip. The opposite edge of the strip from that arched at 46 has spaced embossed channels 48 formed therein to strengthen the strip transversely. Further strength is provided by the angular offset wing portions 49 at the junction of the channels 48 and the edge of the strip.

In any of the arrangements, a support is provided for a spring strip having a wire end portion extending parallel to the length of the strip and this is accomplished by the use of a tunnel disposed transversely of the frame. A hooked finger is provided in spaced relation to the tunnel for anchoring the torsion bar from which the wire end extends, thereby preventing movement thereof and undesirable squeaks and noises. An additional tongue or tongues may be provided which engage the torsion bar and retain it looked under the hooked .end of the finger. It is only necessary to insert the end in the tunnel and rock the torsion bar downwardly about the axis of the end and deflect it beneath the hook on the securing finger to have the end of the springstrip mounted in fixed relation to the frame member.

What is claimed is:

1. A spring strip made of wire bent back and forth to form transverse torsion bars joined by longitudinally extending bendable bars, and a straight bendable bar extending outwardly from the end of the endmost torsion bar in aligned relation to other of the bendable bars forming anchoring means by which the spring is secured to a framing member.

2.- A spring strip made of wire bent back and forth to form transverse torsion bars joined by longitudinally extending bendable bars, a bendable bar extending outwardly from the endmost torsion bar in aligned relation to the aljacent bendable bar forming anchoring means by which the spring is secured to a framing member, said framing member having aperture means extending transversely of its length, and a projecting finger having a hook at the top spaced from the aperture means and engaging the torsion bar which supports'the endmost bendable bar.

3. A spring strip made of Wire bent back and forth to form transverse torsion bars joined by longitudinally extending bendable bars, a bendable bar extending outwardly from the endmost torsion bar in aligned relation to the adjacent bendable bar forming anchoring means by which the spring is secured to a framing member, said framing member having aperture means extending trans versely of its length, a projecting finger having a hook at the top spaced from the aperture means and engaging the torsion bar which supports the endmost bendable bar, and means between said aperture means and finger engaging the torsion bar on the side opposite to that engaged by said finger.

4. A metal formed strip for securing the longitudinally extending wire end of a spring and the supporting torsion bar from which it extends, said strip having a pair of upwardly extending spaced tabs containing aligned apertures for receiving said wire end, and a finger on said strip disposed laterally of said tabs and having a hooked end for securing said supporting torsion bar when deflected thereunder.

5. A metal formed strip for securing the longitudinally extending wire end of a spring and the supporting torsion bar from which it extends, said strip having a pair of upwardly extending spaced tabs containing aligned apertures for receiving said Wire end, a finger on said strip disposed laterally of said tabs and having a hooked end for securing said supporting torsion bar when deflected thereunder, and a third tab on said strip between said pair of tabs and finger for retaining said torsion bar against said finger.

6. A metal formed strip for securing the longitudinally extending wire end of a spring and the supporting torsion bar from which it extends, said strip having a pair of upwardly extending spaced tabs containing aligned apertures for receiving said Wire end, and a finger on said strip disposed laterally of said tabs and having a hooked end for securing said supporting torsion bar when deflected thereunder, the outermost tab of said pair being revcrscly bent. and deflected downwardly to extend over the inserted end of said wire end.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,072,562 Lee Mar. 2, 1937 2,124,655 Freund July 26, l938 2,133,611 Freund Oct. 18, 1938 2,592,944 Neely Apr. 15, 1952 2,633,904 Neely et al. Apr. '7, l953 

